The Warriors know what they need, but the market may not make it easy.
With LeBron James now signed, Golden State’s urgency has only sharpened. Stephen Curry is nearing the back end of his career, and with an extension available to him this offseason, the franchise has reason to act if it wants to give him a real shot at another run.
James might have been the swing piece. The price made sense.
But that door has closed, and the Warriors have to keep looking.
Anthony Davis will get mentioned in the coming weeks, at least until he signs his extension with the Washington Wizards. Even so, Trey Murphy III stands out as the cleanest fit and the most appealing trade target on Golden State’s board.
The problem is the cost.
New Orleans has reportedly held firm on its asking price for Murphy: three first-round picks and a young player for the 26-year-old wing. That kind of package feels steep for a Warriors team that is unlikely to go all-in on its future that aggressively.
Murphy has every reason to draw interest. Last season, he put up 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while knocking down 37.9% of his 3-pointers across 66 games.
He looks like the kind of player who can round out a contender, the final piece for a veteran group like Golden State’s. The question is whether he’s worth that kind of haul.
Desmond Bane fetched four first-round picks last offseason, but that came with the idea of a near-perfect fit for the Orlando Magic. Murphy is a different case. He’s valuable, no doubt, but it’s hard to imagine many teams - Warriors included - paying that sort of premium for a complementary piece.
For New Orleans, the real issue is whether the current plan is still believable.
The Pelicans went 26-56 last season, but unlike the teams around them in the bottom five, they weren’t openly tanking. They also had the benefit of relatively healthy seasons from Murphy, Zion Williamson, and Herbert Jones. For a while, the idea of that group getting right and climbing back into the Western Conference picture still had some life.
Now there are too many doubts. The fit between Williamson and Derik Queen is one of them, and it’s hard to see a clear path forward with the roster exactly as it stands.
New Orleans does control its own first-round pick in 2027, along with swap rights with Milwaukee and Atlanta. If the Pelicans land in the top four, they could even end up with both their own pick and the Bucks’ selection next offseason.
That’s why the trade deadline could matter. If the season starts to unravel under new head coach Jamahl Mosley, the Pelicans may finally be pushed toward reality - and if that happens, the price on Murphy could come down enough for the Warriors to pounce.
In Other News...
Podziemski Is Already Part Of Santa Claras Next NBA Story
Allen Graves is already giving Santa Clara another reason to brag. The No. 19 pick in the NBA draft has started his pro career with a wave of congratulations from fellow Broncos Brandin Podziemski and Jalen Williams, a reminder that Santa Claras pipeline has become more than a feel-good footnote. Graves also wasted little time making an impression in summer league, showing the kind of activity that tends to travel well to the next level.
Toronto has made clear what it wants from him early: defense, hustle and the kind of effort plays that can earn trust fast. That fits the profile Graves has been building, and it is part of why the support from Podziemski and the rest of the Santa Clara network matters now. The next step is figuring out how quickly that energy turns into a defined NBA role, and the Raptors are already leaning into that question. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans Have Every Right To Be Frustrated Right Now
The offseason has already started to take shape around the league, and the contrast is hard to miss for Warriors fans. The Lakers just landed Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with Utah, parting with two first-round picks and two pick swaps to do it, while Golden State has spent nearly a month without bringing in an external player through trade or free agency.
That silence is especially jarring because the Warriors still have draft capital to work with, and they have been connected to bigger swings without finding one. They also have not seriously gone after notable restricted free agents, leaving the roster picture largely unchanged at a time when other contenders are making moves and forcing the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors May Have One Last Offseason Fix For Stephs Shrinking Window
A speculative offseason idea has the Warriors looking at one more swing to help Steph Currys shrinking window, with the front office weighing whether a major reshuffle could better balance the roster around him. The concept centers on a deal with Dallas, a team that has its own reasons to consider a reset, and it reflects the kind of aggressive thinking Golden State has leaned on when it believes the margin for error is getting thinner.
The appeal for the Warriors is obvious: add depth, size and flexibility in one move while using future draft capital to chase immediate help. But because this is only a proposal, not a reported transaction, it remains more of a roadmap for what Golden State might need than a finished answer, and the hard part is figuring out whether the price of that kind of fix is too steep for a team trying to stay competitive now and later. [Read more 🡒]